


flare.

by trashassassin



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Childhood Friends, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Long-Distance Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-03 12:36:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16326371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trashassassin/pseuds/trashassassin
Summary: You're leaving the Crown City for the first time in pursuit of your career and you turn to Ignis for comfort.





	1. The Long Road Ahead

**Author's Note:**

> This series has been in the works for quite some time now and originally I wasn't going to post it at all, but with the continued support of my friends both within this community and outside of it, I've finally worked up the courage to share this story that I've worked so hard on. This first chapter is meant to establish the world and the original supporting characters that will continue to make an appearance throughout the series and, much like the title suggests, both myself and my readers are in for a long journey ahead.

_"We have to do something, Iggy!"_

_You watched in horror as the monster, a skeletal, wolf-like creature, which had somehow slipped past the Wall, was now attempting to devour a helpless baby chocobo._

_"Hey!" your companion, Ignis Scientia, shouted with an almost palpable uncertainty._

_He picked up a rock from the ground and hurled it against a nearby tree trunk, prompting the creature to go and investigate._

_"Now's your chance!" he said, and you darted forward to wrap the bird in the sweater tied around your waist, lingering only as long as you had to before the two of you took off back in the direction of your clubhouse._

_"Is it following us?" you asked. "I feel like it's following us."_

_Ignis looked back and shook his head._

_"No sign of it," he said._

_"You're sure?"_

_"Positive."_

_As soon as you reached the clubhouse, you dug around frantically for the potion you kept around in case of an emergency. You’d seen it around a hundred times; why did it evade you now?_

_You eventually found it hiding beneath a pile of books on the floor and wrenched off the lid as quickly as your 8-year-old strength would allow before dumping its contents onto the tiny bird's injured wing._

_"Come on!" you said, as if willing the medicine to work faster._

_It took what felt like an eternity until the wound finally started to diminish._

_"How does it look?" Ignis asked as he peered over your shoulder, eyes wide with concern._

_"Better," you replied. "You're gonna be okay."_

_You gave it a tentative pat on the head with only your pointer finger; you didn't want to risk injuring it further._

_It was then that it let out a soft_ kweh _that signaled to you that it was out of immediate danger._

_"What now?" Ignis asked. "Shall we try to return it to its previous owner?"_

_"No way!" you replied. "Clearly they didn't care about it if they just left it to die in the middle of the woods. I say we keep it."_

_"Keep it? Your mother would never allow such a thing and you know as well as anyone that I'm_ certainly _not allowed any pets."_

_"My mother doesn't have to know," you said. "I'll keep it out here in the clubhouse."_

_"What happens when it gets too big for that?"_

_"Well, we'll deal with that when the time comes." You rose to your feet, taking the bird with you, still wrapped tightly in your sweater. "I think I'm gonna name you… Goldy!"_

_"Goldy?" Ignis scoffed. "How very unoriginal."_

_"What, you got a better name? Tell me these feathers aren't the most beautiful golden color you've ever seen."_

_"Well, we haven't exactly seen many chocobos around here..."_

_"Oh, whatever." You emptied a nearby basket of its current contents, an assortment of toys, and placed Goldy inside. "See, it can sleep here! At least, until it gets bigger."_

_"What will you feed it? You must think this through."_

_"Vegetables from the grocery store. Mom is always telling me to eat my vegetables, so if I buy extra, she can't possibly get mad."_

_He shook his head._

_"This is insane, you know?"_

_"I know!" You smiled. "Exciting, isn't it?"_

* * *

 

The feeling was bittersweet as you packed the last of your things away in the brown boxes that now surrounded you.

This was it, the moment your entire life thus far had been building up to. So, why weren’t you happy about it?

You loaded them one-by-one into the trunk of your car and then led your chocobo, Goldy, into the trailer hitched to the back.

"Be safe," you told her. "You should have plenty of food for the journey and nice soft straw to sleep on if you get tired." You patted her neck one last time and said, "Good luck," before closing up the trailer.

Goldy was lucky in that way. She didn't understand that you were leaving your home, your friends, and your previous life behind that day. It was just another day for her, another relaxing ride in the trailer to an undisclosed location. She loved to travel; her eyes lit up every time she stepped out into a place she'd never been to before, even if it was only a short distance away from her usual lodgings.

She was most certainly excited for the journey ahead, so you supposed you should be too. And you were excited, in a nervous sort of way. Not once had you left the confines of Insomnia to experience the outside world. To leave Insomnia was to enter a foreign land with a new currency and its own set of rules and regulations.

This was the world that you were setting off to.

You took a deep breath to steady yourself as you entered your car, sitting in the driver's seat staring at your hands for a good few moments before coherent thought returned.

You would be recognized immediately by everyone who saw you as an outsider. Your clothes, your car, the way you spoke, everything about you would give you away immediately to any of your adversaries. Would you be forced to fight?

Ignis had tried to teach you many times, just basic self defense with the tiny knife he gifted you for your eighteenth birthday, but imagining actually having to use it, actually having to take a life…

You shuddered.

Most of them were just robots, but you could never shake your fear of them due to all the nightmares you had during your childhood of them crashing through your windows, red eyes blazing at you as they closed in for the kill. Sometimes they were on your ceiling, dropping from above and strangling you while you slept.

You shuddered again. Your imagination was clearly your greatest enemy here and yet, you just couldn't shake it.

After all, beyond the protective wall projected by King Regis, all bets were off. The outside world was a savage place, uncivilized, crawling with monsters at every turn. At least, that's what you'd been told.

You lifted your phone from its place in the handbag beside you and dialed Ignis's number.

_Please don't be busy._

He picked up on the third ring and greeted you warmly, a mock scolding tone in his voice as he said, "You'd better not be driving. We talked about this, remember?"

"No, I'm not driving yet." Your voice broke. "God, Iggy, I'm scared!"

His joking tone disappeared as he responded.

"What's frightened you?" he asked.

"Leaving the city," you replied. "You think they're gonna come after me?"

"The Magitek troopers?" You nodded even though you knew he can't see. "Highly unlikely. You think they somehow have inside knowledge of your personal relationship with the King?"

"Maybe."

You shrugged.

"Realistically, it's next to impossible for them to have such knowledge," he said.

"Yeah, okay,” you said. “What about the monsters? Will they attack Goldy?"

"She's being sent to secure private property, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then you should have nothing to worry about. As for yourself, it's best not hang around outside after dark, as that's when they're most active."

"Okay." You blinked hard in an attempt to stave off the tears that threatened the corners of your eyes.

"What is it?"

"Uh…" Your aggressive blinking had no effect. "I'm gonna miss you. That's all."

"I'll miss you, too," he said. "In fact, I already miss you. I have since you left my apartment this morning. But it's alright because you're going out to fulfill a lifelong dream of yours and for that, I am very proud of you."

"Thanks."

"I must get back to work now, but feel free to contact me whenever you'd like and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm able, alright?"

"Alright."

"Have a safe journey. Goodbye."

"Bye."

The line went dead and you spent a few moments staring at the blank phone screen, allowing your tears to flow freely as you did.

_Get it together, goddammit!_

You wiped your eyes and turned the key in the ignition, prompting the car's engine to roar to life. There was no turning back now.

You were headed out to a tiny city in the Duscae region known as Caulden to begin your apprenticeship with world-renowned chocobo vet, Dr. Lyle Atkinson. He owned a large plot of land very near to there, the Willow Springs Farm, a chocobo farm that would provide boarding for Goldy as well as a bright future for you.

That was your goal, to become like Atkinson in learning to care for the animals forsaken by Insomnia's protective wall. Ever since you were a little girl holding the gravely injured Goldy in your arms for the first time, that had been your dream.

And now, it was becoming a reality. Or it would, at least, if you could get there in one piece.

The journey was a long one, the road containing bizarre twists and turns, taking you up to precarious cliff sides and various creature crossings deep in the wilderness, two things you'd never had to face before. You were a pretty confident driver, but you would’ve been lying if you’d said that your heart wasn't racing as you were presented with these new challenges.

The first leg of your journey was far too much to complete in a single day so, following Ignis's guidance, you checked yourself into a small motel for the night, called The Point or something equally mundane.

After you'd gotten a full night's rest (or at least tried to with your childhood nightmares resurfacing in your head), you set off bright and early so that you would hopefully make it all the way to Caulden before night fell once more.

* * *

Your arrival to the Duscae region was immediately apparent, the cracked, dusty roads of the nearby towns smoothing out and becoming surrounded by seemingly endless wilderness. The sight of it was enough to take your breath away. Insomnia was a beautiful city for sure, but it was highly industrialized, filled with skyscrapers and flashy billboards. Beautiful in its own right, but nothing at all like this.

You watched with awe as the creatures of the field roamed freely, making no effort whatsoever to attack you or your cargo. They were simply going about their business, grazing on grass or napping by the riverside, nothing at all like the vicious monster creatures you'd been envisioning in your head.

You immediately noted that the air streaming through the open top of your car was much fresher than that of the city, lightly seasoned with the scent of the nearby bodies of water and the towering trees.

In that instant, the majority of your fear had vanished; you were certain you were going to like it there, at least.

Your first stop was your new apartment located in a small complex off near one of the side streets. You took a quick peek into Goldy's trailer before unloading your things; she was fast asleep, just as you assumed she would be. She was very well tempered, something you were always grateful for.

Getting all your things inside would prove quite difficult seeing as some of the boxes contained very heavy things like your entire collection of hardcover books and a kitchen's worth of china dishes.

_This would be a lot easier with two people._

The thought invaded your mind before your could stop it, and it caused your eyes to well with tears once again.

But you could manage just fine on your own, you resolved, taking the heavier things first by shoving them along the surrounding grass with the smaller things placed on top of them. Getting them up onto the porch would prove more difficult; lifting them proved impossible, so you sort of rolled them upward using the edge of the porch for leverage. Once all of the boxes were placed in a neat pile by the door, you took the shiny new key from your purse and unlocked it revealing the dark, empty interior.

It was very quiet, a little too quiet, you thought, so you switched on the light and jingled the keys on your keychain around a little bit in an attempt to still your rising heart rate.

The room immediately in front of the door appeared to be a living space with a tiny kitchenette off to the side, already furnished with a refrigerator, a stove, and a dishwasher along with a washer and dryer set near the back. Across the hall from these rooms were two more, both with the doors closed, which you found to be a bedroom and a bathroom. It was certainly no high-rise, but it was just the right size for you.

Your next task was actually bringing the boxes through the door, which proved much easier than getting them onto the porch seeing as you now only had to push them in a straight line to get them where you needed them.

Before you started unpacking, you decided it would be a good idea to get Goldy situated in her new place so she wouldn't have to spend another night in the trailer.

Willow Springs Farm was very near to the apartment complex, only a few miles away. As soon as you pulled up, you spotted an older woman, maybe in her late fifties or early sixties, tending a vegetable garden near a towering farmhouse.

It was in an older Victorian style, painted white with a dark blue roof and a porch swing beside the front door that swayed in the light wind.

The woman stopped her gardening once she spotted your car and called out your name, as if to confirm your identity before coming to greet you.

"That's me," you replied.

"Oh, we've been expecting you!" She took off her gloves and set them aside before exiting the gate leading to patch of dirt you were currently parked on. "I'm Liberty Atkinson, the doctor's wife, but you can call me Libby."

"Nice to meet you, Libby," you said.

You shook her hand and then her attention immediately switched to the trailer you had with you.

"And this must be Goldy."

"Yup."

You unlatched the trailer door and lowered it to the ground, which caused Goldy to stir, but not wake.

"We're here." You tapped her gently and her eyes blinked open. "You can sleep some more when you get settled in, okay?"

Her responding _kweh_ was less than enthusiastic.

"Y'all had a long drive up here, I'll bet," Libby said. "All the way out from Insomnia."

She emphasized every syllable of the word and it made you cringe.

_Here we go._

"What's that like?" Her eyes were wide with intrigue. "Livin’ in the Crown City. It must be very glamorous, huh?"

"Eh." You shrugged. "There's a lot of getting stuck in traffic jams on your way to work. It's not really all it's cracked up to be."

You could already predict her next question as her lips curled into a massive smile.

"What's _he_ like? The King, up close and personal?"

"Now that's hard to say. I never actually got to meet him."

This was a lie, of course; you'd been in proximity to the King many times given your friendship with his son's royal adviser.

She frowned.

"Shame," she said. "It's always been my dream to visit, but they're so strict over there. Won't let just anyone through their gates, will they?"

"Definitely not," you replied.

A young man, presumably a farm hand by the way he was dressed, stepped between the two of you to grab Goldy's lead and guide her toward the stable, effectively ending that conversation, much to your relief.

"Well, lemme give you the grand tour," Libby said.

Her hand ghosted your shoulder as she lead you through the gate and to a dirt path that branched off in different directions, each corresponding to a location on the property.

"That there's the barn," she continued, pointing to the large white structure the farm hand was leading Goldy to. "And over there's the arena." She then pointed to a large field surrounded by a white fence which contained several chocobos and their riders, who were dressed in jockey uniforms. "We offer training for chocobo races Monday through Thursday if you happen to be interested in that."

"I'll keep that in mind," you said, even though you had no real intention of training Goldy to be a racing bird.

"And out here…” She lead you to the area behind the barn. "...is the pasture. Everybody needs a little fresh air and sunshine, and chocobos are no exception. They usually spend the daylight hours in the pasture unless it's rainin' or snowin', or we're havin' a particularly bad day with the daemons."

"Daemons?"

"The monsters," she said. "Come to think of it, you probably didn't have to deal with them much, did you city girl?"

She laughed.

"I can't say I did," you replied.

And you were very grateful for that.

"Anyhow, behind the pasture is the trail, which can be used by our boarders for ridin', provided it's safe to do so. You'll have to check with Clive before you head out."

"Who's Clive?" you asked.

"Clive Atkinson, our son," she replied. "The one who's leadin' Goldy. He's an expert when it comes to daemon slayin', so he usually keeps them off the trails. He'll let you know if it's too dangerous to head out there."

"Do you have a lot of trouble with these… daemons?"

"It generally gets a lot worse in the warmer months, but it's not as bad now that it's startin' to cool down a little. All the tasty critters they usually eat have gone into hibernation or are migratin' for the winter."

"Have any of your birds ever been attacked?"

"Not a one. Even if they were, we got the best chocobo vet in the entire world to look after them."

This set you at ease a little. Even if Goldy did get mauled by some creature, she would be in good hands. The best hands, in fact.

"She's all settled in," the man who you now knew as Clive said as he caught up with you once more.

"Oh, good," Libby said. "One more thing to note, the first floor of the farmhouse is sort of a gathering space for our boarders, so feel free to stop in there if you'd like. Snacks are on the table."

"Thanks for everything."

You were addressing both of them with this statement.

"Don't mention it," Libby said. "We're just doin' our jobs."

With that, the two of them wandered off to get back to whatever it was they were doing before you arrived, and you decided to head into the barn to visit Goldy. She was already asleep again by the time you reached her stall, likely glad to have somewhere proper to sleep.

If there was one thing Insomnia lacked, it was places like this, places with wide open fields for her to run around in. Sure, there were stables for boarding chocobos, but they were overly-sterile, their interior paved with stone instead of grass without much access to sunshine. Even if you wanted to keep Goldy in a place like that, you never could have afforded it.

Instead, she remained within you clubhouse, which you eventually fashioned into a sort of makeshift stall with a large pile of blankets for bedding and a pair of old plastic buckets for holding her food and water. Her diet consisted mainly of carrots and lettuce, only the finest smuggled out to you by Ignis, which she seemed to enjoy well enough. You would take her on rides when you had the chance between classes and the part-time job you held, using a length of rope from the hardware store as a bridle as, once again, you never could have afforded the real thing.

As you watched her sleeping on a bed of straw surrounded by others of her kind, you were happy that she finally had a proper place to stay.

You decided not to take the offer to mingle with the other boarders, promise of snacks aside, in favor of unpacking your things back at the apartment.

You started with the bigger things, a collapsible bookshelf, which you placed in the living room area, and your tiny flat screen television, which you placed on the floor in the bedroom. The largest items, like your mattress and sofa, were being shipped separately and weren't likely to arrive for another day yet.

That meant sleeping on the floor for a while.

You spent the rest of the afternoon organizing the smaller items, like the aforementioned books and dishes, before putting away your clothes and toiletries, which were stored in the duffel bag still waiting in the car.

Even after all of the boxes had been exhausted, one remained, a smaller, lighter box with a small note attached to it. It was the last thing Ignis sent you off with before you left his apartment.

You sat down on the sleeping bag you'd arranged on the floor of your bedroom, setting the box in your lap as you sliced through the tape with a small pair of scissors.

A few items stuck out immediately, a miniature coffee maker and a bag of Ebony coffee grounds, his favorite. Along with these, which would likely be an essential part of your new college life, was a thick knitted blanket, a collection of paperback books, and a bag of homemade chocolate chip cookies.

The last of its contents was the note, handwritten on a piece of premium stationery with a faux worn appearance, outlined on all sides with a minimalistic flower design.

_Hello._

_I hope my gifts prove useful in the coming days. I trust I thought of everything you'd need, some quality coffee to keep yourself awake for the inevitable sleepless nights, a blanket to keep you warm as the weather starts to chill, and a few of your favorite novels, to keep you entertained during your limited free time. And of the cookies, I hope that they will remind you of me, a little piece of home to comfort you during what is most certainly a stressful time._

_Always looking out, Iggy_

You tried your very best not to cry again—you'd cried enough already, surely—but to no avail.

You held the letter in your hands, reading through it at least once more before setting up the coffee maker in the kitchen in preparation for the coming morning. You then returned to your room, tucking the letter away into the bottom of the box where it would be safe for now, and grabbed one of the cookies from the bag as you began to look through the books he gave you. A smile spread across your face as soon as you read the first title.

 _Starlit Wonder_ , the story of a small town girl who got involved with a big time pop star, followed by another book from the same author, _Everlast_ , the story of a humble hotel maid who got involved with some kind of dark, mysterious man.

What would he be this time? A vampire? An angel? The possibilities were endless.

The next two were a duology, _Hope Beyond Hope_ and _Lust at Sea_ , following the story of Maria McKellen and a tortured old sea captain, Benjamin Lake. And the last was a new release that you hadn't heard of before, _Across the Stars_ , a sci-fi romance about a scientist who fell in love with the android in her crew.

These were perfect. He knew you so well.

You had a little time before it would be prudent to get to sleep, so you wrapped the blanket around yourself and began your foray into the world of _Starlit Wonder._


	2. A Brand New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are beginning to adjust to life on your own, but not without a little outside help from Ignis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to change the rating to Mature because I realized I was rating the whole series and not just a single work. So if you're like "what in the absolute heck there is no mature content here", just know that the rating will make sense eventually.

You awoke the next morning to the very unwelcome sound of your phone’s alarm tone, which prompted you to pull the blanket further over your head.

Perhaps you had spent just a bit too much time engrossed in your reading the previous night, but it was hardly your fault that Ignis had chosen to gift you such an engrossing assortment of books.

Yes, that was the excuse you were going with.

With a great deal of reluctance, you peeled yourself off the floor and every one of your muscles immediately began to protest. Clearly they were not fond of all of the time you’d spent there.

Speaking of the floor, it was ice cold as your feet made contact with it. This alerted you to the fact that you’d forgotten to turn on the heat even though you’d had plenty of warning for the impending drop in temperature.

You decided it would be wise to select a warm outfit as you prepared for the day ahead of you, which would involve plenty of time outside, you were sure. Changing out of your pajamas, you selected a hoodie and a pair of jeans, comfortable but practical.

As you headed to the kitchen, it dawned on you that you’d forgotten something else, something very important.

In the flurry of unpacking and getting Goldy settled in, you’d completely forgotten to go grocery shopping, meaning that you had absolutely nothing to eat for breakfast.

You started up the coffee maker with a scowl on your face and shoved another one of Ignis’s cookies into your mouth, praying that it would tide you over until you had the chance to eat a proper meal.

Once you’d finished your coffee, which barely made a dent in the exhaustion you felt, you got into your car and headed back out to the Willow Springs Farm.

No one was around to greet you when you arrived, but there was a note posted on the farmhouse door that read,  _ Gone out to market. Be back in a few. Chocobo feed is out in the barn, as is the equipment you’ll need to muck out Goldy’s stall. _

_ -L & L _

You’d come to an agreement with the Atkinsons that, in exchange for allowing you to board Goldy for free for the duration of your internship, you would handle all of her care as well as help out with chores around the barn when necessary.

But you were used to caring for Goldy on your own already, so doing so now wouldn’t add much strain to your workload.

Armed with the knowledge of the location of the supplies you’d need, you went back outside and headed for the barn.

Some of the chocobos were already in the pasture, grazing happily on the grass, and a few of them walked up to the fence as you passed by.

"Hello!" you said, waving in their direction as you continued toward the barn.

A bit of soft music was playing through a speaker overhead, an oldies station by the sound of it, and it echoed throughout the entire structure, moving freely through the open ceiling.

You spotted Goldy, still sleeping peacefully in her stall as she had been when you’d left her.

"Morning," you said as you made your approach, and she lifted her head, looking at you as grumpily as a chocobo could manage. "Not a morning person either, huh?"

She stood up and shook out her feathers.

“I bet you’re hungry. Let me see if I can find you some food.”

You turned from her stall and looked around for a room that might contain some chocobo feed, settling on the chipped wooden door on the far end of the aisle with the sign nailed to it that read  _ Feed Room. _ Inside, you found several bags of seeds and gysahl greens, as well as a number of tupperware containers stacked on top of each other, each marked with the names of one of the birds within the barn.

You selected the one that read  _ Goldy  _ and brought it out to her, emptying its contents into the feed bucket inside the stall.

“Well, you’re up bright and early.”

You jumped as you heard Clive’s voice echo through the previously empty barn, spilling a bit of Goldy’s food onto the ground as you did.

“Yeah, well, I’m still in the process of getting settled in and I wanted to make sure I had time to come in before the movers arrived,” you said.

“No need to explain yourself,” he said. “I realize I didn’t get to properly introduce myself in all the hustle and bustle yesterday. Name’s Clive. If you ever have a problem with daemons, I’m your guy.”

He set down one of the large bales of hay he was carrying and extended his hand to you, which you shook as you told him your name.

“That’s what I’ve been told,” you said. “That you’re in charge of keeping this place safe.”

“You have my word on that.” He lifted the bale of hay back onto his shoulder. “Hey, I hate to ask this, but there’s a downed log on our trail from the heavy winds last night and I still gotta bring in the hay before the rain hits, so I was wondering if you’d be willing to help out.”

“I don’t see why not.”

“Excellent. Just take Goldy out there with the cart and bring it on back. There’s a harness in the tack room you can use and I’d be more than happy to hook it up for you if you’d like.”

“That would be a big help,” you said.

He set both bales down this time, then disappeared behind another door marked  _ Tack Room,  _ returning moments later with a large leather harness in his hands.

“We’ll let her finish up eating first,” he said. “So, how long have you had her for, anyhow?”

“Almost twenty years now,” you replied. “I’ve had her ever since she was this big.”

You put your fingers about a foot apart to signify the size you were talking about.

“Wow. So, you must have quite a bond with her after all that time.”

“Definitely. She’s basically like family to me.”

“And how did you decide you wanted to be a chocobo vet?”

“Funny you should bring that up.” A smile spread across your face as you recalled the events you were about to recount to him. “Goldy is actually a huge part of it. I saved her from a monster back home, the only one I’d ever seen get past the Wall. I thought for sure she was gonna die, but I got her to safety just in time. It was then that I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life saving creatures that maybe weren’t so fortunate, like the ones out here.”

“So, it basically fell in your lap, is what you’re saying.”

“Pretty much, yeah. What about you? Have you always known that you wanted to work on your parents’ farm?”

He let out a nervous chuckle.

“Well, actually—” he said. “—and this stays between the two of us—most days, I’d rather be anywhere else.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But I could never tell my mother that. It’d shatter her heart. You see, when I was a kid, I wanted nothing more than to be a real daemon hunter, like the guys I saw on the posters scattered around the various outposts. So I trained really hard everyday, practicing swinging a sword against anything I could find lying around here, much to the dismay of my parents. When I was finally old enough to join my local hunter’s guild, I told them what I’d really been preparing for, all excited, only to be told that it was too dangerous and that I belonged on the farm with them. And that was the end of that. So, here I’ve been for all my life, and here I’ll likely stay whether I like it or not.”

“That doesn’t seem fair.”

“Fact of the matter is, my parents aren’t getting any younger out here. They need someone like me to protect the farm, or who knows what would happen to it?” He shook his head. “Anyway, sorry for dumping all this on you so suddenly. It’s just that, sometimes, it feels like I’m gonna explode unless I tell someone.”

“I understand.”

“But, it does look like Goldy managed to finish up her food in the time I’ve been yammering away. Why don’t you take her out back so we can get her hitched up to that cart?”

“Okay.”

You retrieved the bridle you were being leant from the tack room and secured it to Goldy’s beak, then followed after Clive with her lead firmly in hand.

You tried to watch carefully as he went through the process of hooking up the harness and attaching it to the cart, but there were so many intricate steps involved, so much looping small pieces through other small pieces until they were secured.

You were sure to forget the entire process within the day.

“Just drop it off here when you come back,” he said. "Actually, leave it over by the wood chopping block. We can use it for firewood."

He pointed to a short stump near the side of the farmhouse.

"Alright," you said.

"But I gotta get back to work. Good luck out there.”

“Thanks.” You turned to Goldy. "You're strong enough for this, right girl?" you asked with a quick pat to her neck, and she looked at you with determination in her eyes. "Alright, let’s do this.”

With her approval, you hopped into the cart and flicked the reins, then began to lead her down the trail, making sure to keep an eye out for the wayward branch along the way.

The sun has fully risen now and all traces of the morning chill were beginning to fade, leaving you just a bit too warm in the sweatshirt you were wearing. 

Some smaller birds were out, singing from somewhere high up in the trees, along with a few groups of small insects, which began to swarm around your head. 

The latter you definitely could have done without.

You finally spotted the branch a fair way down the trail, clearly fallen from the very tall tree nearby, blocking the entire width of the path ahead.

"There it is," you said. You brought Goldy to a halt and hopped out of the cart. "If only you could help me carry this."

You took hold of the thin end of the branch and dragged it toward the cart, struggling a fair bit as you hoisted it upward by one of the protruding twigs and place it inside.

"Alright," you said with a huff. "We gotta take it back now."

Goldy stared at you with what you perceived to be uncertainty.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you can handle it."

You lifted yourself back into the cart and turned Goldy back around to face the direction of the barn, taking a firm grip on one of the smaller branches protruding from the larger one so that it wouldn’t fall out on your ride back.

"Well, I'll be!" Clive exclaimed when you reached your destination. "That bird of your is stronger than she looks!"

"At least half that strength comes from pure determination," you said, and he laughed.

"Just bring it on over there. I'll have Pops chop it up and we can have a bonfire when the weather clears up later this week."

You lead Goldy over to the chopping block and unloaded the log beside it, struggling just as much as you had when you’d first picked it up.

“What should I do with all this stuff?” you asked.

“Just take it off and put it back where it came from, then you can put Goldy out in the pasture for some fresh air.”

Not wanting to bother him any further, you did your best to work out how to remove Goldy’s gear by yourself, which actually wasn’t as hard as you thought it would be.

You then loaded everything into the cart and carried it back out behind the barn with Goldy following close behind you. She’d worked plenty hard already and you wanted to give her a break on the way back.

Just as you finished putting away the gear, you saw the Atkinsons’ truck pull into the driveway and Libby emerged from within it, her arms full of grocery bags.

“Oh, hi there!” she called.

“Hello!” you said with a wave.

“Looks like you two have had a busy mornin’ so far.”

“Sure have,” said Clive. “She and Goldy cleared that log from the trail all by themselves.”

“Did they, now?”

“Yup. Speaking of that log, I was hoping you could chop it up and turn it into firewood, Pop. Would be great to get a bonfire going once the weather clears up.”

“Yes, that does sound like a good idea,” said Lyle. “I’ll get on that as soon as I help your mother put away the groceries.”

“You better help!” Libby called as she disappeared into the farmhouse.

Your final task for that morning was to clean out Goldy’s stall, which was definitely the one you had been looking forward to the least, but you knew it had to be done regardless.

You removed Goldy’s bridle and let her out into the pasture, then returned to the barn to retrieve the tools that you would require, a wheelbarrow and a pitchfork.

You were definitely regretting wearing a sweatshirt by the time you finished cleaning out the stall; the physical labor combined with the sun streaming through the gaps in the walls left you sweating quite a bit.

But you’d finished everything that was required for that day, so you said goodbye to the Atkinsons, then headed back to your apartment to change and to get the grocery shopping handled.

You wrote out a quick grocery list on your phone when you arrived, consisting of instant noodles, bread, lunch meat, things that you could easily throw together with your limited cooking skills.

They weren’t exactly the healthiest foods, but it would be enough for you to feed yourself without burning down the entire apartment complex.

Ignis had tried teaching you to cook many times, but you just couldn’t get a grasp on it. Something about the art of combining things in a pot and actually making them taste like something evaded you no matter how hard you tried at it.

With your list assembled and a much lighter outfit on, you hopped back into your car and headed to the nearest grocery store as indicated by your phone.

Though, as you drew closer, you realized it was not so much a grocery store as it was a collection of food stands full of fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs. There was not a single packaged food in sight, which would complicate your plans a bit.

You pulled your phone out of your purse and compose a new message to Ignis.

_ Give me your easiest recipe. I'm stuck at a farmers' market and I'm scared. _

You meandered through the stands a bit, surveying your options as you waited for a response. In addition to the vegetables and fruits, there seemed to be fresh made pasta, bags of rice, and a butcher stand near the back. You spotted at least five different kinds of meat right off the bat, and it was safe to say that you were feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of your options.

_ Easy by your standards? This will be difficult. _

You sighed.

_ Please stop laughing long enough to help me. _

_ This one should suffice. _

What followed was a recipe titled "Garden Skillet", which included chickatrice meat, rice, and an assortment of vegetables and seasonings, all things you would be able to find at the market, no doubt.

You gathered up the vegetables first, an onion, a few different colors of bell pepper, some cauliflower, a zucchini and one lemon, then headed for the butcher stand.

"Hi," you said, a great deal of uncertainty in your voice. "Uh, can I get a pound of chickatrice breast, please?"

"Sure thing," the butcher replied, and he pulled a large slab of light-colored meat from a cooler behind him before setting it on a metal scale on the stand. "Anything else?"

"No," you replied.

"That'll be 200 gil."

A wave of panic washed over you as he said this. You still weren’t completely used to the new currency in this area.

Once you’d regained your composure, you grabbed your wallet out of your purse and handed him the money he asked for in exchange for the meat.

"Thank you kindly," he said as he took it and placed it into the cash register.

There was only one last thing to get.

You headed to the stand with the giant bags of rice and ordered a pound of that as well.

_ I got all the ingredients. Now I just have to be careful not to mess them up. Wish me luck. _

_ You'll need it for sure. _

_ Shut up. _

As you packed your things into your car, another establishment in the town caught your interest: The Turning Page.

It was a bookstore by the look of things and you still had a bit of time before the movers were set to arrive at your apartment, so you figured it wouldn’t hurt if you stepped in for just a second. Surely the food would keep in the car for a little while.

The smell of old books and cheap coffee hit you as soon as you entered. Another thing that hit you was the display in the center of the room, which contained a new book written by the same author that wrote  _ Starlit Wonder _ , called  _ A House Divided _ .

Curiosity got the better of you and you lifted the book from its stand to read the back.

It was about a princess forced into an arranged marriage who had secretly fallen in love with a commoner. It seemed you were unable to escape royal family drama no matter how far you went from the Crown City.

Regardless, you were more than ready to see what your favorite author had in store for you in her latest adventure.

You set the current book back onto its display stand and picked up a non display copy for purchase. It was 2000 gil, but you worked hard that morning, so you had earned it.

Or at least, that's what you told yourself as you completed your purchase.

* * *

"You  _ must _ make sure to cook the chickatrice all the way. We can't have you succumbing to food poisoning on your second day out."

"No, that would be very bad," you said. You’d taken to calling Ignis for help as soon as you got home instead of attempting the recipe on your own. "I wouldn't last five minutes on my own without the convenience of Cup Noodles."

"You wouldn't last much longer with them," Ignis scolded. "High blood pressure is another condition you'd be better off without."

You rolled your eyes.

"But they're delicious," you groaned.

You heard him sigh on the other end of the line.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Teleport over here and help me with this."

You placed the chickatrice breast into the center of a large pan, already seasoned with salt and a few other things you’d already forgotten, and it sizzled loudly, splashing your hand with hot oil.

"Ow!"

You wiped the oil away as quickly as you could, but it still stung.

"Are you alright?" Ignis asked, and you gave a quick "mhm" in response as you stuck your injured finger in your mouth. "The chopping is next. Please take care not to injure yourself."

"I'll be careful."

You picked up the large knife you’d never had to use before and took it to the first vegetable, the onion.

It didn’t release the usual pungent smell you’d been expecting; rather, it smelled sweet and fresh. You guessed it make sense seeing as it was likely hand grown by the farmers around the area.

"So, how goes the apprenticeship?"

"It hasn't really started yet," I replied. "I have to wait until Lyle gets another patient. And I’m not allowed to do much of anything until I complete my schooling, anyway. Until then, I’ll mostly just be following him around and helping out with chores, and stuff."

"But, you're enjoying yourself, I take it?"

You smiled.

"You know I am."

You always used to talk about the two of you owning a chocobo ranch with a million chocobos when you were a kid, about leaving Insomnia and living off the land, and he would always nod along, but it was clear even then that he didn't share your vision.

"Onion is all chopped," you continued. "Fingers still intact so far."

"Excellent."

You continued to chop the vegetables, turning the meat occasionally at his instructions, until you had a nice little pile of them sitting on the chopping board.

"You’ll want to remove the meat from the pan now and set it aside."

"Okay."

You retrieved a plate from the cupboard below the sink and placed the meat onto it.

"Now what?"

"Now you'll want to cook the vegetables. Take care not to burn them."

"Easier said than done."

You placed the vegetables into the pan and they sizzled as well, though not as intensely as the meat had, so you were in no danger of being splashed this time.

"Have a bit of faith in yourself," he said. "You've already made it this far."

"True.”

You pulled a wooden spoon from a nearby drawer and began to stir the contents of the pan.

"You'd love the market," you said. "It has everything you could possibly need, I'm sure."

"Is that so? I must say, you're really hyping this place. I'm expecting a grand paradise when I arrive next week."

"You're coming to visit next week?"

Your heart leapt at the prospect.

"I thought I'd stop by for the afternoon, if that's alright."

"Yeah! Yeah, that sounds great. I should have everything squared away by then, I hope. We should have a couch to sit on, at least."

"I can only hope Goldy will be as excited as you are to see me."

You chuckled.

"You haven't forgotten your stirring, have you?"

"No," you replied. "Keep your hair on."

It took quite a while, much longer than you would've liked, before the vegetables began to brown, and your arm was quite tired by then.

"Now what?" you asked.

"Do you have any broth in your cupboard?"

"Uh…” You pulled open all of the cupboards and had a quick glance in each of them, finding a stray can of something nestled behind your collection of mugs. "There's a can of vegetable broth here. Is that okay?"

"That should do nicely," he said. "Pour that over the vegetables and add the rice."

"I think I can handle that." The only can opener you had was a manual one, so it looked as though the manual labor wasn't over yet. "How much rice?"

"Hmm, I usually just estimate."

"Well, how many estimated cups?"

You pulled the drawer back open and surveyed your selection of measuring cups.

"One should do it," he replied after a few moments of consideration, and you removed the one cup measurer.

"Don't forget the seasonings."

"I won't."

You poured in the broth and rice first, then measured out the list of seasonings with the smaller tools.

"Now what?" you asked.

"Place the meat back into the pan and allow the mixture to simmer for half an hour, or so. Be sure to lower the heat or else the rice will burn. And leave the lid on so all the liquid doesn't evaporate."

You turned the dial on the stove down to the low setting and replaced the pan's lid before setting a timer on your phone for thirty minutes.

"So, I can just leave it now?"

"You should be able to. See, that wasn't so difficult, was it?"

"I guess we'll have to see how it turns out," you replied.

"Very sorry," he said, his tone suddenly turning serious. "Duty calls. Keep me updated, will you?"

"I will."

"Goodbye."

"Bye."

Well it smelled alright, at least. You couldn’t imagine that it would turn out too badly, though with your skill level, it was always a possibility.

You shoved your phone back into your pocket and headed to your room to read until your food was done.

The time passed very quickly while you were absorbed in the world of  _ Starlit Wonder _ , and nervous excitement rushed through you as you removed the lid and took a spoonful to test your creation. To your dismay, it tasted pretty bland.

You frowned. Maybe the chickatrice turned out better.

You took a fork from the drawer and used it to pull off a small piece of the meat. It was dry, its texture a bit like cooked bark on the outside.

So, it wasn’t the best, but it was passable, at least, and likely much better for you than Cup Noodles.

_ It's a little bland and dry, but it's edible,  _ you texted Ignis to update him on your situation.

You spooned a serving onto the plate that had once held the partially cooked chickatrice and took it back to your room, setting it on the floor beside your sleeping bag. This arrangement would have to do until your dining room table arrived later that day.


End file.
